Waukee parents petition school board to reverse decision on where students go to school
The Waukee school board will address a petition this week that asks its members to overturn a controversial decision about future middle school boundaries.
The school board scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 560 S.E. University Ave., about a petition signed by more than 900 people to reverse course and instead choose a boundary plan for middle school grades that keeps student groups more intact.
Iowa law allows school district residents to force school board action on an issue if they gather a minimum number of signatures. The petitioners object to a school board decision last month to approve a "split" boundary plan where some students destined to be Wolves and some destined to be Warriors attend the same middle grade schools before splitting off in 10th grade for high school.
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Specifically, Waukee Middle School and Prairieview School would have a mix of students from Eason, Maple Grove, Shuler and Waukee elementary schools who are in line to attend either Waukee High School or Northwest High School. That means some students would no longer be classmates once they reach high school.
Under the approved plan, some 9th grade students at Prairieview also would be bussed to other schools to participate in athletics and activities due to statewide rules that only allow one 9th grade team per high school.
The board chose this plan, which would be phased in every year through 2025 as new school construction continues, Dec. 12, overruling the recommendation of Superintendent Brad Buck, who asked that the board approve a proposal that would keep feeder lines intact. Board member Jaime Secory was the only no vote.
The plan Buck recommended would have changed the way grade are set up. He suggested having two schools for grades 6 through 8 that feed into one school for grade 9. All those students would then go to the same high school. There would be another set of schools for the second high school.
Survey data showed that community members preferred the intact option.
The petitions says administrative staff is the most qualified to address boundary planning, a split model is not necessary for current projected enrollment and the public does not support the plan as approved. It says the intact model would best serve student outcomes and provide more equity. The petitions accuses the school board of lacking transparency.
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In choosing the split model in December, board members expressed concerns that the intact model would not be stable as enrollment grows and could require major changes again in just a few years or cause the district to spend more money on construction and staffing.
Waukee's student enrollment is projected to hit 15,300 by 2027, an increase of 2,600 from the 2022/23 school year.
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Petition forces Waukee school board action on middle school boundaries
